Someone to Trust
by JojoLightningfingers
Summary: After the battle with Link in the Water Temple, Dark Link is left close to death. He is rescued by a mysterious stranger with white hair. DarkOni
1. Rescued From the Fall

**Seriously, am I the only one to have thought of this pairing? And like it? Oh well. Read on!**

* * *

Strained breathing echoed across the empty chamber. Blood floated in the ankle-deep water. The water itself splashed as a stained boot dropped heavily into it.

Holding his stomach closed with one hand, Dark Link staggered to the sole tree in the room. He'd had no idea the boy would be this strong. Slumping against the gnarled trunk, the shadow bowed his head and closed his eyes. _I have failed_.

The door opened and closed with a boom; Link passed the dark elf bleeding out on the floor. He felt a pang of sympathy but he knew better than to help. The door slamming shut on the other side was the raven-hair's death toll.

For several minutes, the room was silent except for the black elf gasping for breath and stubbornly clinging to life. Surely Ganon would restore his power and make him stronger, make him strong enough to beat the Hero of Time. He soon realized that this was not to be, that his master had abandoned him for being too weak. Dark accepted this grudgingly and waited for the end.

A thump roused him; he looked upward as his vision began to tunnel out. A high and mighty figure bent in front of him. The only things he saw before he lost consciousness were pointed ears and a pair of white, emotionless eyes.

* * *

The next thing Dark knew, he was warm and comfortable. He slowly opened his eyes. A blank expanse of black met his stare. It glittered unnaturally, as if it were wet stone.

_Wait..._ slowly, Dark sat up. His gut spasmed, screaming in high protest. He grunted and lowered himself back down. But where was he? He felt the cloth beneath his fingers. Most likely a bed. If that was a bed, then the black above him was a ceiling. He carefully slid his fingers down his body. Everything was there, his various wounds were bandaged, and he felt inexplicably rested.

And now, the question of the day: Why was he not dead?

"You're up," a deep voice rumbled. It took all the shadow's self-control not to yelp in fright and hide under the blankets. He kicked himself a moment later for being so impulsive.

"Who said that?" he snapped.

"I was beginning to think you would not wake," the voice went on, ignoring the inquiry.

"Who said that?" Dark repeated in a hissing voice, trying to hide his nervousness behind a mask of irritation.

The air to the side of the bed quivered and folded in on itself. A tall – easily of eight feet height – figure simply appeared. For a moment, Dark's brain was halted. Things that big do not simply _appear_.

The figure had the same general look as himself and Link, with a few key differences; aside from the tremendous height contrast, his hair and tunic were white. He had strange marks on his face – two red stripes across both cheeks and a blue sort of "v" mark on his forehead. The eyes lacked pupil and iris and glared at Dark with an intensity that seemed to burn the skin off his skull.

"I did," the giant murmured. "My name is Oni. Some know me as the Fierce Deity. Are you feeling well, little one?"

"I...guess?" Dark ventured.

"That is good. If you could remove the blanket, I will check your wounds. Then you may rest." Oni glanced sideways at Dark as if he dared him to disagree.

The shadow knew better than to protest. This stranger carried the same air as his master, though he somehow could sense that Oni meant him no harm. "Um..." he started, having just come to a realization.

"What is it?" the white-hair asked gently.

"I...I have no clothes," the shadow whispered, feeling a blush suffuse his cheeks. He growled internally – he was a manifestation of black magic, he was not supposed to feel like this.

This caused Oni to pause for a second. "I will find something." The air convulsed and swallowed him.

Dark leaned back down and sighed, shuffling his body around a little. When he was satisfied that his various limbs worked, he made himself comfortable and waited for Oni's return.

Minutes later, the white elf emerged from the air again, bearing undergarments. "Please, put them on. I must see the condition of your wounds." His voice was firm, but not forceful – something foreign to the dark elf.

Dark slipped them on under the sheets and kicked the blankets off. He swiftly became aware of how much skin he was showing, and to a stranger to boot. The blood rushing to his face turned his ashen cheeks browner. If Oni had noticed, he either didn't care or hid his emotions well. "Move towards me and tilt your head back."

"Is that really necessary?" the shadow asked tautly as it clicked in his mind that doing so would leave them in an awkward and vulnerable position.

"Strictly speaking, no, but it does make the task a sight easier." The deity reached around behind Dark and fiddled with the knot on a strip of cloth. He unwrapped the injury meticulously and almost deliberatly.

As the wound was revealed to him, Dark sucked in a breath that made it twinge. A long, puckered scar stretched from one side of his body to the other, straight across the middle. The raw edges were caked with dried brown-colored blood and the stitches bit into the flesh painfully.

"A horrific blow, but it appears much improved." Oni wet part of the old bandages and slid it across the lesion. The dark elf shivered at the strangely sensual feel of cold cloth on a tender injury.

After the dried blood was gone, the white elf inspected the mark closely. Very closely. Dark could feel his hot breath on his stomach. "Perhaps we might be able to remove the stitches within a week. Your body recovers fast."

Something about that worried the black elf, but he made no comment as Oni soaked new bandages in a potion and wrapped it up again. The process was repeated with his arms, then one leg. All of his other maladies, he was informed, were healed. Again, the uneasy feeling settled over his mind.

Oni stood and stretched. "Rest today and tomorrow. I will find some clothes for you."

The white elf turned to leave. Dark rasped, "My sword and shield...where are they?"

The deity's head twisted back to glance at him. "I retrieved them, thinking them to be yours." Without another word, he left.

Dark turned on his side, fingering the scar through the wrap. His crimson eyes took on an anxious cast – he had suddenly realized what was wrong.

* * *

"Oni?" The shadow braced himself on his arms as the white-haired elf entered the room.

"Yes, little one?" The deity sat on a stool next to the bed and leaned over to undo the bandages. Dark moved a little closer to ease the process.

"How...how long has it been since you found me?"

He stopped messing with the cloth and pushed a hand through his bone-white hair, eyes closed. "I believe...four week?" He continued on despite Dark's gasp. "You were very close to death."

"My master, is he..."

Oni shook his head. "No. He has fallen. The other half of you has prevailed. He has been hailed a hero. I saw this through my mirror."

"I have failed him," the dark elf whispered, deciding not to ask about the mirror.

"It was no fault of yours," the white-hair replied kindly. "You are not to blame for your injury."

"When will I be able to walk?" he asked, grunting as Oni prodded a sensetive part of the wound.

"In another week, maybe a week and a half." Oni tied off the strip of cloth.

Dark lowered himself down on the bved and drew the covers over his bare chest. "I see."

"Is there anything you need?"

"No."

"Very well then." The mask slipped for a moment and Dark caught the trace of a strange look in the deity's blank eyes. An almost needy stare, the ravenings of some primitive emotion. Only for a second, and then it was gone.

The shadow blinked. Oni left the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

A week later, they had cut the stitches. The weal was still tender and always would be. The sutures on his arm and were also gone and the scars mostly healed. Oni had handed him a new black tunic, what had been salvageable from his old outfit, and his sword and shield.

But for all his kindness, Dark never forgot that lustful look in his eye from a week ago. He hadn't approached the white-hair about it, bur he had a suspicion.

As the raven-hair buckled his belt and shifted the tunic accordingly, his hat lying on the bed, Oni opened the door and entered soundlessly. "It fits well," he said. "I had to guess at your size."

The shadow was used to having the deity pop in unexpectedly now. He didn't even twitch when Oni spoke. "It does; thank you."

"Will you be leaving soon?" Dark thought the white elf's tone sounded very near to wistful. Perhaps even longing. It was disturbing.

An even more disconcerting thought was the question the tall elf presented. If he were to leave, where would he go? He had nowhere to return to, as Ganon's Tower was now undoubtedly Hyrule Castle again. He knew that he would be spurned by the Hylians, worse than dirt. That left only one option, unless he chose to live in the wildlands.

"I don't think I will be leaving. I have...nowhere to go. You're the only one to have shown me...anything other than hatred and fear."

"Of course you can stay." Oni's voice contained hints of barely concealed relief.

"Thank you." He truly meant it.

* * *

Living with the deity had its ups and downs. On the plus side, Oni was always kind, always gentle, and always willing to lend a hand. Dark was treated like an honored guest, and perhaps even more. On the minus side, there was hardly anything to do. While the shadow might have been nothing more than a manifestation of black energy, he now considered himself human and posessed, as he found, a full range of human emotions, including boredom. Oni seemed to live a simple life.

He discovered, to his great surprise, that the tall elf was an incredibly talented artist. To pass the time, he often watched over the white-hair's shoulder as he painted. Dark, ever loquacious, came up with titles for several of the pieces, which were accepted with relish.

Through exploring the castle, he happened upon a sparring field in one of the rooms. With it, he practiced with his sword, if only because he felt he might break something in Oni's house due to tedium. He had a feeling, however, that the deity wouldn't mind.

Oni caught him in the room one day. He held up a hand as Dark started babbling apologies, something he had grown used to doing while serving Ganondorf. "What's mine is yours, little one," he informed the shadow in his baritone voice. Dark swore he blushed slightly, but gave his thanks nonetheless.

A sword of two twisting, interlocked strips of metal caught the black elf's attention. He appraised it from point to hilt with a warrior's eye. He pointed it out to Oni and the conversation that followed occupied the better part of an hour.

From then on, Oni would spar with him a little, but never using the double-helix sword. When summer came around and the heat intensified, the duels were short and done topless. Dark sometimes caught the deity staring pitiably at the scar across his stomach. Once he swore he's looked lower, but it was hard to tell with the pupilless eyes.

When Dark fell ill for a short bout and Oni refused to leave his side for hours on end, that was when he was compelled to ask: "Why?"

"Why what?"

The shadow struggled to a sitting position with a grunt. "Why are you so kind?"

"I'm a benign being. It's in my nature."

"Bull," Dark replied in a huff. "I'm an evil being by nature and I've not tried to kill you or maim you or anything. Explain yourself."

"How to put this? I feel a certain...protectiveness toward you. You are the first person to have accepted me. A...friend, if you will."

"I can take care of myself, and I'm not your friend," Dark bristled. "I'm only staying because I have nowhere else to go."

"I don't believe that to be true," Oni said mildly. "You have always wanted for a friend. At least, I get that feeling from you. I would be your friend, but I can only do so if you allow me to be your friend."

"Hmph. I'll think about it," Dark growled, rolling over.

"You already have. Subconsciously, anyway, even if you conscious self hasn't realized it yet." A creak, some thudding, a door opening and shutting. Oni had left.

The shadow glared at the wall, drilling a hole through the granite with his ruby eyes. A snarl gathered in his throat. He knew it his heart, if he had one, that Oni was right. Was he changing? Indubitably. And he _had_ always wanted someone to confide in. Someone that wouldn't turn around and stab you in the back as soon as you laid bare your soul.

Someone to trust. A friend.

* * *

**Someone really needs to come up with a name for Dark Link. Really, it's awkward to refer to him as "Dark" all the time.**

**Perhaps I should start calling him Kuro? (which is Dark or Black in Japanese, I don't remember which)**

**I PROBABLY might add a second chapter, I had meant this to be a oneshot lemon, but it evolved into this. Opinions?**


	2. Past Wounds Healed

**Ye, second chapter, funderful. I don't even know what to tell you.**

* * *

The days passed. Dark Link grew well again, much to Oni's relief. Dark had rolled his eyes and said that he'd been in no danger of dying at all, you're just being stupid. The deity had simply smiled and walked away.

The shadow wasn't feeling at a hundred percent, so they didn't spar. Instead, Dark would engage in games of riddles with Oni and in this way, spend many hours.

After one such game, Oni remarked, "I was wondering if you'd given any thought to what I said while you were bedridden."

The black elf's fist tightened. "Yes, I have." He sighed and slackened his grip. "I...I don't want to be alone. I figure you don't. It hurts. You would know. I would know. Especially after him..." This last bit was muttered under his breath.

"After who?" Oni blinked his soulless eyes.

Dark swore in his head; he'd forgotten all about the enhanced hearing of Hylian ears. "Nobody. Talking to myself." The black elf drew his knees to his chin and glared sideways.

"I understand. I'm sorry if I pried." The white-hair offered a soft smile.

The shadow exploded then. "I still don't understand! Why are you so damn nice to me? How and why are you so perfect?" He continued to rant in this manner for around two minutes.

Oni let him talk himself silent before answering. "I am not perfect by any means, Shadow." The unexpeted and unwanted pet name caught Dark totally off-guard. "Your first question will take explaining, but you will only understand if you listen."

"...Fine."

"It's like you said...it does hurt to be alone. Well...I am as alone as it is possible to be. Not only do I live in a seperate dimension from your world, but I am the last of a long-forgotten branch of the Hylian people."

"What happened to the others?" Dark asked, shocked.

"Plague took them. I was out hunting at the time. When I came back, my sire told me to flee. Most of the people were already dead. The ones who were alive were all ill." The deity cast his eyes downward, then lifted them to look at Dark full in the face.

"Then, when looking through my mirror down on a world I had come to envy, I saw you. A strange sensation coiled in the pit of my stomach. I told myself that I would not let harm come to you. Why, I didn't know. I kept watching you. Then you fell in battle and I brought you here. You know as well as I do what happened after that."

It sort of unmanned Dark to think of Oni stalking him through a mirror, unseen.

"What about you? What happened to you?"

The shadow averted his eyes. "It was in the Tower. One of the Master's other servants, Vaati by name, he...he and I became friends. I thought I could trust him, so I told him...things. He betrayed me to Ganon the instant I opened up to him. I hope you know now why I was so...withdrawn when we first met.

"The following days were not pleasant. I was thrashed to within an inch of my life, left to bleed, healed, then whipped again." A tear glimmered in the corner of one ruby eye. The shadow struggled to keep his voice even. "I never forgave him..." Unbidden, the tear spilled over, tracking down the ashen face.

Oni got up and moved closer to the shadow, looking directly into his eyes. At such a close range, Dark saw that the tall elf's eyes weren't completely white like he'd first thought. Rather, they were light gray on lighter gray on white. Nearly indistinguishable from two feet away.

The deity wrapped his arms around the dark elf and pulled him close. At that point, the shadow nearly broke down. He buried his face into Oni's chest, his shoulders jumping as he struggled not to cry. He managed three words.: "It was hell."

"It's in the past now. There is nothing to worry about, Dark." The deity let Dark cry himself dry before asking, "If you had a different name...would it help to drown unpleasant memories?"

"It...might," he answered, wiping his eyes and smacking himself internally for such an outburst. Changed though he was, he still retained his pride.

"Mm...then let me think..." Oni folded his arms and tipped his head back to gaze at the ceiling. After five minutes, he asked slowly, "What about Kuro?"

"Kuro..." Dark rolled the word around in his mouth. "It fits...I like it."

"I am glad."

* * *

The weeks passed. 'Kuro' began sparring with with Oni – who he teasingly called Shiro, making the deity blush slightly and growl in tolerating irritation – again. The tall elf instructed him in the swordplay of his people, something that Dark felt was relaxing for him. More often than not, Oni would out-duel him with nothing more than a stick. The deity said he showed promise – most of his opponents he had been able to disembowl with his bare hands. This caused the shadow to laugh and attack with renewed vigor.

The black elf's life improved dramatically from when he had been in Ganon's power. On reflection, he realized that anything would have been preferable to being in Ganon's service. Dark tentatively opened up to Oni, with the air of an animal wounded by one of its own and still wounded and shocked from the encounter.

But the deity was gentle and patient, never doing anything that the shadow didn't want him to do. By now, the black elf was sure that Oni wanted to be more than friends. He had quietly asked this of the deity when lying curled up next to the elf in question (Oni only had one bed in his house – until two months ago, he hadn't needed a second, and saw no reason to get one).

The white-hair responded with a short word, a nuzzle, and falling asleep. Dark had stared into his face for a while afterward, eyes tracing the strange stripes. He had a sudden premonition that his tongue would be tracing them soon. His heart thumped and his brain scolded him for such thoughts while his scarlet eyes cast a half-panicked half-exasperated glance at his favorite wall.

His heart slowed in tempo – the shadow felt a strange calm, then an equally strange giddiness take hold of him. Someone who cared for someone like him. He was called to sleep them: Oni's arm had found its way around him while the deity slumbered. Before 'Kuro' dropped off to sleep, he noted absently that the arm bore more of the markings. Perhaps he would ask what they meant when he woke up.

* * *

**Oni's being called Shiro is a nod to one of the reviews I got on the first chapter. :3**

**Yes, I renamed Dark, deal with it.**

**Oni has a past, which I felt I had to include.**

**VAATI. One of my favorite villans. :3**

**And that's it. Wait for the third chapter.**


	3. Shattered Promise

**Sorry, this chapter is kinda half-assed, I was bored and wanted to do something out of the ordinary for this one. I deeply apologize if you don't like this, feel free to skip it, but the next will be slightly confusing if you do.**

**Enough chatter then. Onward!**

* * *

"Hey Oni?" Dark asked, "There's a few things I've been wondering about."

"Like what, Kuro?" the deity asked, pulling on his tunic.

The shadow's cheeks reddened slightly. The name still made him blush. "What do those markings on your body mean?"

"Mean? Nothing really. I was born with them like every one of my race. Why?"

"Oh, no reason; I was just curious."

* * *

Now having his answer, 'Kuro' decided to resume wandering the castle, as he was sore from sparring the day before. He discovered, to his amazement, that Oni possessed what appeared to be an entire library in one room. He realized that even an eight-foot-tall giant had to get bored sometimes. He selected the nearest book and sat down to read.

Oni found him there hours after with a four-foot-high stack of books to his right. The tall Hylian blinked. "You've read all this in six marks? You haven't eaten anything at all."

The black elf started. His stomach growled and took a bite out of his spleen. "Uh...wow...is it really that late? I had no idea." He presently got up and followed Oni to the table.

* * *

Once sated, Oni left Dark alone and went to prowl, trying to sort himself out. _I told him that I loved him. Was that the right thing to do? I don't know. I told him the marks did nothing. Was that the right thing to do? No,_ he decided as his heart thumped double-time, demonic blood surging in his veins. _It was not. This is bad._ For the first time in goddesses-knew-how-long, fear shone in the Hylian's blank eyes. Before now, there had been nothing to worry about when this happened. Now, things were different. Now, someone he cared was in harm's way. He charged through the halls, shutting himself in a room and praying that his friend would not appear.

* * *

It started with an impact that rocked the entire house. A demonic roaring rippled through room after room, reaching Dark. The ungodly sound made him drop his book.

_The only other person in the house is Shiro, from what I've seen. Then again, I've not been to the top floor. What could be going on up there?_ Cautiously, Dark ascended the staircase.

Several thuds and the sounds of glass shattering came from one room. He quietly opened the door and peered in.

His ruby eyes widened in shock. Oni was wrecking the place. His kind pearly eyes were glowing red like smoldering coals. His hair, normally short had suddenly grown into a long silver mane that flowed down his back, river-like. His nails were claws, his canine teeth sharpened to fangs. Most confusing of all, the marks on his face and arms – and chest, as the Hylian was missing his tunic – were shining.

_He told me they did nothing! Why did he lie to me?_

Dark suddenly found himself gazing into the beast's face. The red eyes pulsed. Oni struck. Through his hazed mind, the shadow dodged and ran to the back of the room. The deity raised a hand to destroy him. The dark elf ducked the blow and Oni smashed through the wall. Dark, seeing his chance, escaped.

It suddenly occurred to Dark that he'd never been outside of Oni's house before. Oh, and that he was two floors up. He grunted as he hit the ground, unharmed, and bolted.

He hadn't gotten more than a few feet before a heavy thud told him that Oni was in hot pursuit. He poured on the speed, fearing for his life. His legs ached already. His wide eyes streamed tears. Tears of betrayal.

A galloping noise, a snarl, a weight slammed into Dark's upper-right back. He spun and landed on his back with a gasp. Dots swam before his eyes as his head hit the ground. A sharp pain told him that Oni had sunk his talons into his shoulders, pinning him.

Terrified, Dark gazed into the blooded eyes of his friend. The tears still came. Oni licked a fang and opened his mouth. Dark had time for a short cry of sorrow and remorse before the teeth descended and tore out his throat.

The shadow woke up screaming and clutching his neck, heart beating fit to burst. His shout roused the deity. "Kuro? What's wrong?"

For a few seconds, all Dark could do was sit there in a cold sweat, wide-eyed and panting.

"Kuro?" There was genuine concern in his voice now. The tall elf propped himself up on an arm and brushed the shadow's sweaty black hair out of his face.

The touch seemed to bring life back into him. He flinched away and stared at Oni. All he could see was the demon from his dream. He found his voice. "It...it's nothing, Oni. Just had a nightmare, that's all."

"Oh. Are you okay?"

"I will be. Go back to sleep." His heart was finally starting to slow down.

The deity nodded and drew the shadow in his arms. Within minutes, he was asleep.

Though Oni's embrace was warm, Dark couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Hey Oni," Dark asked the minute the tall elf woke, "Do your markings turn you into a demon?"

"What? No, of course not," he said, pulling on his tunic. "Where did you get that idea?"

The shadow remained silent.

"This is about your dream, isn't it?" Oni sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me."

So the black elf told him about his nightmare. His voice quivered by the time he was finished.

"I see." The deity pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Don't worry, Kuro. You know I could never hurt you."

A feeling of trust washed over his bruised heart. "Thank you. For everything." He leaned against Oni's shoulder, warm inside.

* * *

They went to the sparring room after breakfast. Out of curiosity, Dark had searched for the library from his dream. To his dismay, it didn't exist. That, or it was somewhere else in the house.

They clashed blades, trying to outwit each other. Ducking and weaving, Dark aimed a light horizontal slash at Oni's leg. The deity blocked with the flat of the blade, dancing past Dark's guard. The shadow leaned back before the blade hit him. Pulling back, Dark hopped back to a safe distance, holding his ready position. Oni paused for a second, then rushed the shadow. Dark raised his sword to counter. Oni's face flashed and was replaced with that of the demon. A second later, the illusion passed, but it was too late. The deity's sword, already on it's path, could not be stopped. Gathering himself, Dark twisted his head back to protect it. The blade cut him diagonally, from the pectoral to the opposite side, crossing the scar on his belly. Blood spewed from the wound. Though Dark had ordered himself to stay silent, he couldn't withhold a short cry of pain.

Oni dropped his sword from nerveless fingers, his brain not exactly processing what his eyes told him. "Kuro!" He knelt by his fallen friend, assessing the wound. It was long and just deep enough to need stitches. The deity's fingers clenched on the shadow's tunic. A tear dropped on the cut. Oni picked Dark up and ran to the bedroom.

After stitching and bandaging the injury, Oni sat on the stool and held his head in his hands. His own words came back to him: "_You know I could never hurt you_." His fingers tightened on his skull, his massive shoulders shaking. The deity's breath came in broken, gasping, nearly silent sobs. His tears fell on the floor. "I'm sorry," he forced out.

"Shiro," a faint voice said.

Oni's head whipped toward Dark. The shadow's chest rose and fell. His eyes were tightly closed, battling the pain to make himself heard.

"I forgive you. It was my fault."

_He must be in so much pain, and yet he's telling me that he understands._ A teardrop tracked down a pale cheek. Seized by a desire, the deity's dropped his face to the shadow's and kissed him feverishly.

Dark didn't resist. He put a hand around Oni's head, drawing him in. He felt wetness on the white-hair's cheeks. His own eyes started to water as he moved his lips against the tall elf's. The shadow flicked his tongue against Oni's mouth. The deity hesitated for a moment before parting them. The dark elf deepened the kiss, his senses heightening. Oni's body stiffened, then relaxed utterly. He played back, tongues tussling. The shadow started to push himself up on one arm. He nipped at Oni before withdrawing into himself.

Oni followed, pulling him up a little more. Dark's scalp started to prickle as the white-hair started to worm his way in. His chest reminded him he was injured with a flash of pain. He grunted, at which point the deity broke the kiss, pink in the face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Don't be," Dark sighed, heat blossoming in his cheeks too. "It distracted me."

"I don't want you to be in pain. Should I do it again?"

"No thank you." The raven-hair blushed deeper, turning away so he couldn't see. His heart was still going faster than normal.

_First intimacy. Awkward, but sweet,_ the shadow decided. He ran his tongue over his lips.

* * *

**Awkward but sweet pretty much describes how it was writing this. OTL**


	4. Confession

**Possible slight OOCness on both Shiro's and Kuro's parts. Don't say I didn't warn you.**

* * *

"Come off it, Shiro." The shadow pouted in what he believed to be a slightly miffed manner.

"You need a bath, Kuro. I took one yesterday, and the air has gone a bit stale."

"It's only been three days!"

"I'm not having any objections. You can walk or I can carry you."

The shadow, knowing defeat, bit his bottom lip. "I'm not even sure I can walk."

"Carry you it is, then." Oni carefully picked up the swordsman and walked to the bathroom. Dark wrapped his arms around the deity's neck.

Upon entry, Oni set the shadow down and started to run the water. The top half of Dark's tunic was ruined, but he still had pants to deal with. He attempted to remove them, but his chest had other ideas. He fell softly to his knees, sucking air through his teeth.

"Ow... Oni? Could you help me... get these off?" He could feel his face reddening at the words.

"Get what off?" the blank-eyed elf replied without turning around.

"My pants," the shadow mumbled in a slightly abashed voice.

The deity's hand paused over the faucet. For a few moments, he didn't speak. Then, "Of course." He snapped the hot water off, helped the shadow to his feet, and placed his hands around the black elf's waist. His eyes remained fixated on the raven-hair's face. The moment he couldn't feel Oni's hands on his body, he leapt into the water as quickly as possible.

"Sorry," Oni murmured, turning away. "Please try not to get the stitches wet."

"Right." The shadow stretched his arms over hid head and immediately regretted it. With a small grunt of pain, he lowered his arms. Tentatively, he twisted his back as far as it would go. The wound flared angrily, feeling like he'd been cut all over again.

"Ow," he grunted.

"Are you okay?" Oni inquired.

"Somewhat... my range of motion is pretty limited."

"I'm sorry, this is all due to my carelessness." He sounded ashamed.

"I already told you, it's not."

A rustling of cloth made Dark blink. "What are you doing?" He flicked his eyes upward. The deity, in nothing but a towel around his waist, stepped into the water behind the black elf. Dark shot up, ignoring the fire in his body, and backed away. "What are you _doing?_" he gasped, fear tinging his voice.

"There's no real way to explain this, so I ask you to trust me, Kuro."

"O-Oni!" the dark elf stuttered. "Get out!" He reached for the bar of soap to knock him in the head with if need be. His chest gave another stab; he'd stretched the stitches. He winced.

"You're hurt," the deity insisted. "I'm just trying to help."

Somehow, Dark made sense of what he was trying to say. _He still blames himself for my injury. He's trying to make amends to himself._ After a breif moment of thinking, The shadow knelt awkwardly and laid a hand on Oni's cheek, brushing back the snow-white hair. The Hylian raised his head and gazed into Dark's eyes. He started losing himself in those ruby pools.

"Shiro, you can't make yourself miserable over me. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it hurts me worse than anything physical to see you in this much guilt. I hold you no grudge, and I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone, because... because I love you," he finished quietly. His eyes and face burned as he placed a soft kiss on the deity's lips.

The single tear dripping into the water made small ripples. "Thank you," the white-hair whispered, smiling. "You should be a writer, that was quite moving."

"Thanks." Dark stretched and remembered too late that he was wounded. "Ouch." He turned around and sat heavily in the water.

"Can you get your back?" Oni asked, concerned.

"No... I tried earlier."

Oni took the shadow's arm and began testing his movements. When the Hylian stiffened, the deity stopped and gently moved in the opposite direction. Satisfied, he lowered his arm. "That's not too bad for only three days," Oni observed.

"You did say once that I heal fast," Dark pointed out, rotating his shoulders.

"You can reach your front, right?"

"Yes." The shadow pulled a face and grabbed the bar of soap. Oni pulled the black elf closer to him. Dark glanced back with an eyebrow raised.

"I suggest you don't do that, the soap burns," Oni said lightly. The shadow's eyes widened in understanding. He nodded and turned back, washing close to the slash. A moment later, he felt Oni's fingers on his scalp, rubbing. He closed his eyes, sinking into the tingling his skull produced, unconsciously leaning into the touch.

The deity finished washing the shadow's hair, cupping water over the foam to wash it out. He slicked back the dark hair and took the chance to kiss the shadow Hylian's forehead. "I forgot to tell you. I love you too." The shadow made a small noise of approval in the back of his throat, resting his head against Oni's chest. The deity smiled and leaned back in the basin, his arms behind his head.

He quietly shook the dark elf awake as the water lost its heat. Dark awoke with a soft mumble and sat up. The white-hair exited the bath, changing towels quickly. He offered his hand to the raven-hair, who took it and levered himself out of the bath. All the while, the deity kept his gaze fixed on the bloodred orbs of Dark's eyes.

The shadow wrapped himself in the offered towel and with Oni's help, staggered to the bed and sat on the edge. The deity fished in a drawer for bandages and proceeded to tend to the black elf's wound. He watched as the shadow tried to reach his back, the injury stopping him each time with a smiall, almost inaudible whimper. His muscles knotted painfully.

Oni set down the bandages and placed his hands on Dark's shoulders. He gently worked the tension out of the shadow's muscles bit by bit. Long fingers stroked the small of his back as he pressed tender kisses to the dark elf's neck.

The shadow relaxed visibly, except for the small quivers when Oni's lips met his skin. Little by little, his taut shoulders loosened. He let out a soft sigh, his body tingling. "Thank you," he said when Oni let up his attentions.

"Welcome," he replied, brushing his fingers across the shadow's spine. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really. If you recall, you brought me lunch a few hours ago."

"Ah yes, I had forgotten."

"However, if you have noodles..." The shadow pulled his pants on and slipped between the sheets.

"Your wish is my command," Oni said jokingly, getting off the bed and leaving the room.

The shadow smiled as the door shut, turning on his side. _I admitted I love him. He'd done the same a while ago...I wonder __why I didn't tell him sooner?_ He would have continued brooding in this manner for hours, but after only thrity minutes, Oni came back in with two pairs of chopsticks and a plate of _soba_.

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**For those who don't know, _soba_ is a Japanese noodle dish.**

**Sorry for taking so long to update. The next chapter will, hopefully, be better. And longer.**


	5. One in Body

**Final chapter! I guess I just got tired of writing a somewhat plotless chapter-fic. Enjoy the last story!**

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"Feeling better, Kuro?" Oni shut the door behind him, laying next to the shadow elf.

"Much," Dark replied, twisting around to demonstrate (they'd offed his stitches the day before). He got out of bed and pulled on his tunic.

"I can't tell you enough how sorry I am," Oni said.

"And I can't tell _you_ enough that it wasn't your fault." The shadow leaned up and pecked the skin showing at the deity's open collar.

The white-hair sighed and wrapped his arms around Dark's back, drawing him to his body. The shadow sank into his heat and closed his red eyes.

For the first time in his life, he was _happy_. The unfamiliar emotion welled in his chest and, so he imagined, flowed into his friend – no, _lover_ – through his touch. They stood locked in the embrace for a long time, long enough that the shadow felt cold when they finally separated.

"Oni?"the raven-hair said as the deity stretched. "Is it wrong?"

"Is what wrong?"

"Is it wrong to love another man?" when the white-hair stayed silent, Dark explained, "I've heard of men and women together, but never of two men. They say it's wrong. Is it?" He almost blushed at how childish he sounded.

It was a long time before Oni answered. "Kuro... in this world, it doesn't matter who you love, as long as you love them with your whole heart. It doesn't matter if we _are_ in the wrong – there is nobody here to see us, no one here to condemn us. Here, we are safe." He turned to face the shorter swordsman. "It doesn't matter what other people think, Shadow."

"Then show me."

"Show you?" Oni paused. "Do you mean..."

"Yes. Join your body with mine and show me."

The deity's breath caught. "Are you sure?" At the elf's nod, he moved slowly toward Dark and placed hands on his shoulders, pushing him gently backwards onto the bed. What followed was a heated, yet playful battle of dominance that ended with Oni's knees straddling Dark's now-bare stomach and Oni's hands pinning Dark's wrists to the sheets on either side of his head. Both panted, slightly winded from the tussle.

The deity leaned down and claimed the shadow's lips with his own, coaxing them open with his movements and slipping his tongue inside. Dark let loose a small sound and broke off, whipping Oni's white tunic over his head and casting it aside.

There were more red and blue markings splayed across his chest and Dark flinched upon seeing them, remembering the demon from his dream. Oni brushed the raven-hair's cheek with a finger, not even needing words to reassure him that he would come to no harm.

Gentle. That was the key trait that the shadow loved about the deity. Always gentle, when marking his neck, collarbone, chest with lovebites. Gentle when licking the sensitive scar on his belly, causing him to gasp and shudder. Gentle when preparing him, whispering soothingly in his deep voice. Gentle, even, when entering, when he was probably on the verge of losing himself to an animal instinct. Gentle when moving, when touching, when speaking, everything about the tall elf was soft and kind.

It brought tears to his eyes that this man, who could kill Dark with his bare hands, chose not to and instead showed love and compassion to one who had desperately needed it.

The shadow came with a choked-off howl, sweat dripping from his body and one hand clenching the sheets tightly. The other hand was stretched backwards, fingers laced with Oni's. "Shiro," he gasped, all his muscles going limp.

The deity tossed his head back and bared his teeth, but no sound passed his lips. Heat filled the shadow, then the white-hair released his sweltering grip on the dark elf.

He remained there, breathing soundly, before smiling with both his eyes and his mouth. Dark returned the expression and nestled into the sheets. Oni lay beside him, the ambient heat flowing in waves.

Just before he fell asleep, he wondered, _Where has my anger at this world gone? I was created evil, but now what am I?_ He cast a glance at the deity, whose eyes were closed and whose chest was rising and falling slightly. _It's him. He's impossible to be angry around._ Crimson eyes closed and a heartfelt smile graced his lips. _I hope it stays that way for a long time._

**Hurr, short cop-out ending. Sue me, I'm busy.**

**I don't know what it is, but I can't write lemons anymore. I wanted to try a new way of writing the sex scenes, and this is what you got. Sorry if I disappointed you all!**

**And thus ends another long journey full of writer's block, crumpled paper, and scratched-out words. I need ice for my hand, so I will see you all later!**

**~Keeper of the Dark Dragon**


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